How Do I Open an Estate Account at First Intl Bank?
First Intl Bank's estate-account opening requirements: where the account can be opened, the documents to bring, and the EIN requirement.
Opening an estate account at First Intl Bank
Opening channels
- In a branch
- Not stated
- Online
- Not stated
- By phone
- Not stated
- By mail
- Not stated
- Appointment
- Not stated
- Co-executors
- Not stated
Documents to bring
- Court order appointing the executor or administrator -- FIBT's Terms and Conditions (TC-ND 6/1/2023, section 31, Fiduciary Accounts) permit an account to be opened and maintained by persons named "as executors, administrators, or conservators under court orders" (Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration)
- Identifying information for the person opening the account: name, address, date of birth, and a driver's license or other identifying documents (federal customer-identification requirement stated in section 1 of the Terms and Conditions)
What to know at First Intl Bank
FIBT offers estate accounts through the fiduciary-account provision of its deposit account agreement (Terms and Conditions-ND, form TC-ND 6/1/2023): an account may be opened and maintained by executors or administrators under court orders, and the bank disclaims any duty to monitor or enforce the terms of the letters. Beyond that clause, FIBT publishes no estate-account opening procedure -- no page states whether opening happens online, by phone, by mail, or in branch, no appointment or co-fiduciary rule, no Letters recency window, no minimum deposit, no estimated time, and no estate-specific account type. The online account application (apply.fibt.com product selector, checked 2026-07-16) lists only personal products -- Essential/Rewards/Advantage Checking, Regular Savings, CD Special, First/Premium Money Market, and Individual/Family HSAs -- with no fiduciary or estate option; its USA PATRIOT Act notice states the bank will ask for name, physical address, date of birth, tax identification number, telephone number, and identifying documents such as a driver's license. Whether the estate's EIN must be in hand before opening is not stated anywhere. The agreement is governed by federal law and the laws of the State of North Dakota regardless of the state the account was opened in. Estate-account questions route to customer service at (800) 359-8092 or any branch; FIBT's ABA/routing number is 091305031 for incoming transfers to an estate account.
This guide summarizes each bank's published estate-account requirements and is not legal or banking advice. Requirements may vary by state and account type.
Frequently Asked Questions
First Intl Bank's published guidance does not state whether an estate account can be opened online.
First Intl Bank asks for: Court order appointing the executor or administrator -- FIBT's Terms and Conditions (TC-ND 6/1/2023, section 31, Fiduciary Accounts) permit an account to be opened and maintained by persons named "as executors, administrators, or conservators under court orders" (Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration); Identifying information for the person opening the account: name, address, date of birth, and a driver's license or other identifying documents (federal customer-identification requirement stated in section 1 of the Terms and Conditions).
First Intl Bank's published guidance does not state a co-executor appearance rule. When more than one executor or administrator was appointed, confirm with First Intl Bank whether all must attend.
An estate account is a bank account titled to the estate itself — not to the person who died and not to the executor personally. The court-appointed executor or administrator opens it to deposit money owed to the estate (final paychecks, refunds, proceeds from closed accounts), pay the estate's debts and expenses, and distribute what remains. Checks made out to "the Estate of" can only be deposited into an account titled this way.
The estate is its own taxpayer, separate from the person who died. Banks open estate accounts under the estate's Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the IRS, not the deceased's Social Security Number. The free EIN application prepares IRS Form SS-4 for the estate.
Sources
Data sourced from First Intl Bank primary sources (2 pages reviewed). How we research.
